Technology & Engineering

The first fire lookouts in the Glacier National Park region were simply high points atop mountain peaks with unimpeded views of the surrounding terrain. Widespread fires in the 1910s and 1920s led to the construction of more permanent lookouts, first as wooden pole structures and subsequently as a variety of one- and two-story cabin designs. Cooperating lookouts in Glacier Park, the Flathead National Forest, and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation provided coverage of forests throughout Glacier National Park. Beginning in the 1950s, many of the lookouts were decommissioned and eventually destroyed. This volume tells the story of the rise and fall of the extensive fire lookout network that protected Glacier National Park during times of high fire danger, including lookouts still operating today.

Founded in 1895, the Essex County Park Commission was the first county park system in the nation. That year, the commission began its management of Eagle Rock. The reservation was designed by renowned architect Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., who also designed Central Park in New York City and the Capitol Grounds in Washington, D.C. Evident characteristics of the architect within the park are the winding roads, natural blended waterways, open fields, and overlooks, all of which combine to attract thousands of visitors each year. Eagle Rock Reservation explores many interesting and little-known facts about the park. Readers are introduced to Llewellyn Haskell, the founder of nearby Llewellyn Park, who first purchased land at Eagle Rock. Seen is the trolley that once served Eagle Rock as it emerged as a popular resort area. Included are the park's view of the New York City skyline and the Hundred Steps to Eagle Rock, the same steps that were ascended by visitors nearly one hundred years ago. Also seen is a never-before-published lab note written by Thomas Edison, documenting World War I experiments he conducted for the U.S. Navy at Eagle Rock.